The present invention relates to standardizing the manufacture above-the-knee (AK) and below-the-knee (BK) prosthetic sockets and attached hardware using specially designs alignment jigs that can record position of components, with micro-encoders embedded in the jig, to quantify various degrees of freedom (rotations and translations) during integration of a temporary check socket or prosthesis. These records, together with a digital record of the shape of the truncated limb, in the form of a CAD file, can provide a complete digital record or “prescription” of the prosthesis. The digital record is then transferable to a central fabrication facility which uses a jig augmented with motors, drives systems, and encoders to robotically position and align fixtures and clamps to streamline integration and production of the prosthesis in a standardized manner.
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1. An assembly jig for aligning and securing components during fabrication of prosthetic or orthotic devices, comprising:
a mast having a longitudinal axis;
three or more joint modules, each slideably coupled to the mast;
three or more first linear encoding elements embedded into or on the mast, each first linear encoding element positioned to encode the location of one of the three or more joint modules;
three or more orthogonal extensions, each orthogonal extension having:
a proximal end slideably coupled through a one of the plurality of joint modules,
a distal end terminating in a first end of a rotational joint,
a fixture attached to a second end of the rotational joint,
a second linear encoding element embedded into or on the orthogonal extension and configured to record the linear position of the rotational joint relative to its respective joint module,
a rotational encoder located positioned to record a rotational position of the first rotational joint, and
a fixture attached to the first rotational joint; and
a plurality of electronic transmission devices such that each of the first linear encoding elements, each of the second linear encoding element, and each of the rotational encoding elements has a corresponding electronic transmission device that transmits positional data to a computerized centralized recording system,
wherein a first orthogonal extension of the three or more orthogonal extensions has a first fixture configured to secure a pipe embedded into a plaster mold replica of a patient's truncated limb,
wherein a second orthogonal extension of the three or more orthogonal extensions has a second fixture in the form of a clamp configured to secure prosthetic or orthotic components, and
wherein a third orthogonal extension of the three or more orthogonal extensions has a third fixture in the form of a platform configured for securing prosthetic or orthotic components.
2. The assembly jig of
three or more first motors attached to the mast, each being coupled to one of the three or more slideable joint modules, respectively;
three or more second motors, each mounted on one of the three or more joint modules and coupled via a second rack and pinion drive system to one of the three or more orthogonal extensions;
three or more third motors, each coupled to one of the rotational joint of the first orthogonal extension via a worm drive or a direct gear drive, configured to control roll, pitch and yaw of the rotational joint;
one or more fourth motors coupled to the second orthogonal extension via a telescoping shaft with an internal screw drive system; and
one or more fifth motors with screw drives coupled to the platform of the third orthogonal extension configured to adjust the lateral movement of the platform,
wherein each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth motors has a data transmission link to one of the first linear encoding elements, second linear encoding element, or rotational encoding elements allowing feedback loop control.
3. The assembly jig of
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This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/639,192, filed Apr. 27, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to standardizing the manufacture above-the-knee (AK) and below-the-knee (BK) prosthetic sockets and attached hardware. Specifically, the invention is related to the automation of the alignment jig used in the production of prosthetic devices, which incorporates sensors able translate jig settings into digital records that can be stored and, subsequently transferred to central fabrication facilities for the streamlined and low cost production of the prosthetic devices from the digital records.
2. Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,883, issued to Ulrick A. Veith and Will W. Veith on Jul. 27, 1999, present FABRICATING ASSEMBLY AND CASTING APPARATUS FOR PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC DEVICES, wherein a fabrication assembly for the manufacture of prosthetic and orthotic devices allows various components to be aligned on a common vertical mast with respect to height, distance and rotation alignment criteria.
Various parts and components for vertical jigs, some displayed in this patent application, can be found in Hosmer Tools and Fabrication Supplies Vertical Fabricating Instrument; Hosmer Tools and Fabrication Supplies Component Parts; Hosmer Tools and Fabrication Supplies Fabrication Fixtures; Hosmer Tools and Fabrication Supplies Brim Adaptor and Adjustable Brims; Hosmer Tools and Fabrication Supplies Vertical B & B Universal Casting Fixture. Similar equipment can be found in Fillauer Manuals and Brochures, and literature from other jig manufacturers and vendors. None of these, however, contain the features that will become apparent in this patent application. The innovation relates to the modification and augmentation of existing jig concepts, tools and components, with the creation of a new jig concept which contains internal sensors and actuating devices that significantly enhance the productivity of the jig.
Conventional production of above-the-knee (AK) and below-the-knee (BK) prosthetic sockets and attached hardware entails mounting various components on an apparatus like the Hosmer VFJ-100 Vertical Fabricating Jig, to provide proper alignment of the various parts that make up a prosthetic device. A prosthetic device may include the socket which fits the amputee's truncated limb, the attachment plate rigidly fixed to the socket, a pylon which connects the socket's attachment plate to an articulating or fixed ankle and/or the artificial foot. The pylon is essentially a linear structure, often a cylindrical pipe, with associate hardware for connecting the socket to the ankle or foot.
An important aspect of properly fitting the prosthetic device to the patient is the appropriate placement of the socket attachment plate to the socket, the orientation of the pylon to the attachment plate, and finally the orientation of the pylon to the ankle or foot. The alignment jig plays an important role in physically securing all of the parts, with proper orientation, during the manufacturing process.
During this process, the prosthetist, the professional clinician who fits the prosthetic device to the patient, or a technician under his or her direction, is able to secure and adjust the orientation of the component parts relative to each other on the jig. The jig has various fixtures such as clamps that can secure the parts, with flexible joints that can extend, contract and rotate the component parts to align them according to the prosthetist's judgment of best fit. As will be seen in the following descriptions, there are many degrees of freedom for setting the orientation of the parts relative to each other.
Once the alignment for best fit is achieved, the various clamps can be “locked down,” meaning the clamps and joints can be secured in a fixed position, allowing the technician to remove the component parts from the jig for further processing. The jig, however, retains the settings of“best fit” until the component parts are returned to the jig for final processing and alignment. This is an advantage in that the settings are retained, but also a disadvantage in that the jig is not able to be used by others until the prosthesis is returned to the jig for final adjustments.
Currently, production of trans-tibial and trans-femoral prosthetic sockets starts with the creation of a cast of the patient's residual limb using plaster of Paris wraps or bandages to map the shape of the residual limb. After the wrap has hardened, it is carefully removed and is used as a mold for the casting of a positive plaster mold, a replica of the residual limb, with a pipe embedded in the mold in the axial direction to facilitate handling. After the mold has set, the plaster wrap or bandage is removed.
Alternatively, instead of casting a positive plaster replica of the limb in the hardened plaster wrap or bandage taken from the patient, some fabrication facilities create a digitized solid model computer file by scanning the inside of the patient's plaster wrap with a mechanical sensor or laser scanner. This digitized image can then be modified by computer software designed for this purpose to dimensionally add or subtract “material” from the digitized image in a manner similar to that of a prosthetist adding or shaving material off the plaster cast to adjust or fine tune the cast to better replicate the truncated limb.
Once the Computer Aided Design (CAD) file is generated, it can then be loaded into computer controlled CNC machine tool often referred to as a “carver”, which cuts out a replica of the residual limb in a rigid but malleable material like a high density polymeric foam or wax. At this point, like the process described above for a plaster cast, a thermoforming material is drawn over the positive mold making a negative replica of the limb. This thermoform or thermoset material can be used as a preliminary “check socket” to assess how the well the socket fits the patient.
Prior to the formation of the complete prosthesis, whether from a plaster or high density foam mold, an attachment or adaptor plate is adhered to the bottom or distal end of the thermoset covered mold using an adhesive or harden able putty such as Bondo to secure the plate to the mold, and fill in voids around the plate and the thermoset covered mold. This plate is used to secure the pylon which is essentially a pipe that secures the prosthetic foot to the socket that is fitted to the residual limb. The mold is then used a mandrel for the physical layup of graphite or other high strength cloth, which is then impregnated with resin to form a rigid socket.
Most state-of-art facilities use the above methods for “digitizing” or obtaining a digital record of the shape of the truncated limb in a the form of a CAD file. What is missing, however, in order to fully characterize the prosthesis, are the parameters below the distal end of the socket related to the location and the orientation of the attachment plate on the socket, the orientation of the pylon relative to the attachment plate, and at the junction of the pylon and the ankle, the orientation of the pylon to the ankle.
In the junction of the attachment plate and the upper end of the pylon, there are adaptors that can change the angles or orientation of the pylon relative to the socket by mean of set screws that can be manipulated by the prosthetist to obtain a “best fit.” Also at the distal end of the pylon there are adaptors that can change the angle or orientation of the pylon relative to the plane of the ankle attachment.
This adjustable link, the so called pyramid adapter, was patented by Otto Bock in 1969 and is used worldwide. The adapter consists of two pairs of set screws surrounding a pyramid, allowing adjustment, within a limited swing angle, in two planes. Double, eccentric and sliding adapters offer even more options. Tube adapters and tube clamps add the option of varying lengths and diameters and create an easy-to-adjust connection. The various lamination anchors, socket adapters and socket attachment blocks and provide the transition to the distal component unit. The pyramid adapters are relatively limited in the range of angles they are able to secure.
All of these settings, beyond the CAD file of the truncated limb, become key parameters in determining the final configuration of the prosthesis from socket to ankle. The object of this invention is to use an alignment jig, instrumented with linear and angular micro-encoders, to produce a fully digitized representation of the complete prosthesis, which can be used as a “prescription”, much like that of an eye glass prescription, to allow a Central Fab to produce the full prosthesis using only the digital record.
The conventional vertical alignment jig like the Hosmer VFJ-100 is composed of the following parts;
1. Vertical Column Assembly—
2. Horizontal Shaft Assemblies—
3. Upper Clamp Assembly—
4. Middle Clamp Assembly—
5. Lower Clamp Assembly—
As one can see, there are numerous degrees of freedom built in to the convention alignment jig, with clamp assemblies able to be raised and lowered on the vertical column in the “Z” direction, and rotated about the vertical column in the “X-Y” plane. Furthermore, horizontal shafts with fixtures on the ends can be, extended, contracted, and rotated within each clamp assembly. The fixtures themselves can have internal degrees of freedom, such as the positioning of objects in the yoke in the Middle Clamp Assembly, and the positioning of the pylon-ankle attachment in the Lower Clamp Assembly.
Beyond the extensions and rotations described above, there are other minor angular adjustments that can be made at specific sites using what are known as single and dual pyramid adaptors. In these adaptors, the relative angles of male and female adaptor plates, within a few degrees of rotation, can be adjusted with four screws in the female component tightened against sloping sides of the male pyramid component. These pyramid adaptors can be found at the socket and ankle ends of the pylon as well as at the end of the Upper Clamp Assembly shaft when coupled with a rotatable joint affixed to the Mandrel Bushing.
Once the technician has assembled the various components on the jig, aligned them, and locked down all of the setting, the jig itself stores the settings while the technician continues on to the production of the prosthesis. The jig now unable to be used for other production until the technician has finished the original prosthesis. Furthermore, once the jig is used for production of a different prosthesis, the original settings are essentially lost. If another duplicate socket is required at a later date, the process must be repeated from scratch, requiring new settings to be generated.
This invention relates to the recording and reproduction of major settings related to the alignment of the prosthesis, allowing the prosthetist flexibility to make minor adjustments by means of the single and dual pyramid adaptors described above.
This invention envisions a complete system for standardizing the prosthesis manufacturing process by: 1) digitally recording and storing the complete digital record of the prosthesis including the truncated limb CAD file and the orientation of the pylon with attachments relative to socket and ankle, generated at the Patient Care Facility: 2) transmission the complete digital image and pylon orientation to the Central Fabrication Facility, the Central Fab; 3) production of the complete prosthesis at the Central Fab which is then returned to the Patient Care Facility for final fitting; 4) the storing of the complete prosthesis digital record in central secure data base for future use in replication of an existing prosthesis or a starting point for a modification of the record as the truncated limb
The key to this standardization process is modifying or creating new forms of the alignment jig now used in the industry to produce a complete digital record of the prosthesis at the site where the prosthetist is fitting the patient, and to allow the utilization of that record at a Central Fab to produce the aligned socket and attachments. The concept includes two potential forms of the new alignment jig:
1. The Digital Alignment Jig—
2. The Automated Alignment Jig—
The Digital and Automated Jigs could be resident at either/or both of the above mentioned facilities, at the office of the prosthetist or at the Central Fab. The Automated Jig would, however, cost significantly more than the Digital Jig and may be affordable only as a system for the Central Fab, where numerous sockets would be in production at any time.
Beyond the benefits to the prothetist and the Central Fab, the above system could be of great value to organizations like the Veteran's Administration or Health and Human Services, which has oversight over Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, by maintaining a central HPPAA-compliant protected data bases on the AK and BK “prescriptions” for patients under their care This allows almost instantaneous reproduction of prostheses at an efficient Central Fab contract facility, if a prosthesis is lost, broken, or requires a re-fitting. The prothetist could modify the CAD file and even the pylon orientation and store the reformatted Digital Record for future use.
In the case of the Digital Alignment Jig (DAG), the invention relates to modifications to the standard alignment jig or an alternative jig design concept which incorporates sensors that are able to automatically record all of the settings when the jig is “locked down” after a prosthetic device is assembled and aligned on the jig. This involves linear and rotational micro-encoders that record the position and rotation of the clamp assemblies on the vertical column as well as the extensions, contractions and rotations of the horizontal shafts, with the various fixtures on the upper, middle and lower clamp assemblies. The micro-encoders themselves could be analog or digital, however, their output will likely be displayed as numerical digital readouts, or digital data communicated to a PDA or other device that records, stores, or transmits the data.
Linear encoders are sensors, transducers or read heads paired with scales that encode position along a linear path. The sensor reads the scale and converts the position into an analog or digital signal which is then decoded by a digital readout specifying position along the linear path. Micro-encoder technologies exploit many different physical properties to encode position including: optical, magnetic, inductive, capacitive and eddy current.
Optical encoders utilize transmission of light through or reflection from a scale which is coded according to position on the linear path. Light sources include LEDs miniature light-bulbs or laser diodes. Magnetic encoders employ active magnetized or passive variable reluctance scales where position is sensed with sense coils, Hall Effect, or magneto-resistive read heads. Capacitive encoders sense the capacitance between the scale and the reader. Inductive micro-encoders use principles of electromagnetic induction and coils to sense position along the linear path. Eddy current uses scales coded with high and low permeability detected with a inductive coil sensor that senses changes in inductance in an AC circuit.
Although, in principle, all of these technologies would be candidates for sensing in the Digital Alignment Jig, the choice would depend on several factors, including, cost, ability to sense in a dirty environment (e.g., plaster dust), and ability to be incorporated in the jig without impairing its operation. Linear alignment position settings would include: vertical height of the various clamp assemblies from the base of the jig, horizontal positioning of the shafts in each clamp assembly which contain fixtures for securing the prosthesis parts, and certain of the fixtures, like the linear positioning of the pylon-ankle attachment in the Lower Clamp Assembly.
Rotary encoders measure angular rotation of a body relative to a fixed reference such as a shaft rotation in the clamp assembly cited above. The shaft micro-encoders that use some of the principles articulated above, to convert angular position into an analog or digital code, but mainly rely on optical or mechanical means. In an optical micro-encoder a photo detector array reads an optical pattern on a disc contained in the micro-encoder, which is then translated into position by a microprocessor or microcontroller. In a mechanical micro-encoder, contacts touch a disc composed of conductive and non-conductive patterns in concentric rings that containing binary codes related to position. These are decoded electronically to establish the angle of rotation of the shaft.
There are a number of degrees of freedom in the Digital Alignment Jig that relate to angular motion or settings, that can be determined with rotary micro-encoders. These include, as will be seen in the following discussions, rotations of horizontal shafts held in the clamp assembly, rotation of the fixtures holding the prosthetic parts when the clamp shafts are stationary (when, for example, the slot keys are engaged in the shaft slots), rotary motions of the clamp assembly in the horizontal plane, when the vertical slot keys are not engaged, and certain angular rotations related to Upper Clamp Assembly shaft when coupled with a rotatable joint affixed to the Mandrel Bushing.
The Automated Alignment Jig (AAJ) is a further refinement of the Digital Jig which turns the jig into a robotic device, with the addition of motors and drives, able to physically reproduce the clamp and fixture alignment settings that were locked down by the prosthetist who recorded the original digital record. The Automated Jig would contain the sensors described above in the Digital Jig, but would use the digital signals in a feedback loop to physically raise and lower the various clamp assemblies on the central alignment column, extend and retract shafts attached to the clamp assemblies, and rotate fixtures that hold the prosthesis parts during the process of alignment.
The object of the invention is to provide for a system the streamlines and standardizes the system for production of prosthetic devices by securing a complete digital computerized record or “prescription” of the temporary prosthetic socket and attachments generated at the Patient Care Facility, for use used by a Central Fabrication facility to reproduce the final form of the prostheses accurately and economically.
It a further object of the invention, to provide the means of standardization by developing an alignment jig which can record digitally, all of the alignment jig settings that were generated by the prothetist at the Patient Care Facility when creating and aligning the temporary check socket used by the prothetist to obtain the best fit to the patient.
It is a further object of the invention to augment the alignment jig with motors and drives that are able to position the clamps and fixtures at the Central Fab and create, in effect, a reproduction of the settings generated at the Patient Care Facility, in order to expedite the rapid and affordable production of the final prosthesis, including the socket, the pylon, and attachment plate for the ankle/foot.
It is a further object of the invention that the complete data record generated by the alignment jig sensors is formatted in a standardized manner for storage in secure HIPPA-compliant facility, for future use by government and/or commercial entities for reproduction and modification of prosthesis for future patient needs.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a standard set of procedures with automated tools to lower the cost of manufacturing prosthetic devices through the reduction of labor costs and reduction of errors by automated replication of settings required to fabricate the prosthesis.
It is a further object of the invention to maintain a complete digital description or prescription of the prosthesis to avoid having to store plaster casts of the truncated limb or check sockets, or other physical representations of the truncated limb at the Patient Care Facility and/or having to ship such objects to the Central Fab for fabrication of the permanent prosthesis.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon further review of the following specifications and drawings.
Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The Figures illustrate the key elements of the baseline Automated Alignment Jig (AAJ) and its variants. One of the principal variants is the Digital Alignment Jig (DAJ) which includes the sensor elements only (linear and rotary actuators). The DAJ, however, can provide a complete digital data representation of the settings on the jig when it is “locked down,” after the prosthetist has established a best fit to the patient. The AAJ is a more complex device, augmented with motors and drives that robotically establish the fixture orientations derived from the DAJ.
In order to fill orders, using conventional methods, the Patient Care Facility 1 has to physically send plaster wraps, casts, or check sockets, with written instructions to the Central Fab 2 in order to specify the manufacture of a prosthesis. This process is somewhat cumbersome, time consuming, costly, and subject to error. The goal of the invention described here is aimed at setting up the Patient Care Center with the necessary equipment so that the prosthetist can fully describe the prosthesis in terms of the complete digital record which may be stored in an Central Records Facility 3, that is accessible through secure links to both the Patient Care Facility, as the Central Fab. The Central Records Facility is HIPPA Compliant (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996-“HIPAA”) with Privacy Rule standards that address the use and disclosure of individuals' health information. The following steps are required to generate this file.
The prosthetist generates a replica of the truncated limb 4 by wrapping a plaster impregnated bandage around the limb and removing it after it hardens. At this point, the prothetist, if properly equipped, can generate a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file using a laser or touch sensors to scan the inside of the wrap 5 which represents the inside dimension of the socket. The prosthetist can then pour plaster into the plaster wrap, to generate a positive image of the limb in plaster. Using the plaster mold as a mandrel, the prothetist then draws a heated thermo set plastic over the mandrel and creates a negative image of the limb.
Alternatively, if the equipment is available, the prosthetist can also carve a positive image of the limb in high density foam, using a computer controlled machine tool, controlled by the CAD file described above. A negative image can be formed in plastic using the heated thermoset material.
However this plastic replica is formed, it can be used to create a “check socket” with the addition of a socket attachment plate, pylon, and foot, formed on an alignment jig. The prosthetist uses this temporary check socket to work with the patient and assure a proper fit 6. By using the Digital Alignment Jig (DAJ), the prosthetist is able to record all of the alignment settings digitally. This data together with the CAD file forms the complete digital record or prescription of the prosthesis 7. This prescription can then be sent electronically 8 directly to the Central Fab 3 or to the Central Records Facility 3 where it is accessible by the Central Fab.
Using the Automated Alignment Jig (AAJ), technicians at the Central Fab can assemble the socket, pylon, and ankle attachment on the Automated Alignment Jig 10. The Central Fab now sends the aligned prosthesis back to Patient Care Facility for final fitting of the patient. The prosthetist is able to slightly modify the angles of the various prosthesis components within a very limited range using pyramid adaptors described above.
After the prosthesis is produced at the Central Fab, the complete CAD/alignment digital file 7 is sent to the Data to Central Records Facility 13.
Fixture 24, the fixture attached to the shaft in the top level clamp assembly is a cylindrical fitting called the socket clamp assembly. This fixture is capable of holding a cylindrical pipe 27 embedded in a plaster mold 28. The pipe is secured by rotation of a knob 23 that tightens the fixture around the pipe. Mold 28 is supported by a yoke 29 attached to the shaft in the mid-level clamp assembly. The yoke has four screws 30 that surround and are tightened against the mold securing it to the fixture.
An attachment plate 31 is secured to the distal end of the socket with adhesive, and oriented by the prosthetist to assure that the pylon 32 is properly oriented with respect to the axis of the socket represented by pipe 27 embedded in the plaster mold 28.
The proximal end of pylon 32 can be attached by a pyramid adaptor 33 via screws into the socket attachment plate 31. Likewise, the distal end of the pylon can be secured to the base 34 of the ankle bracket assembly fixture 26 via another pyramid adaptor 35 screwed or bolted to base 34.
Clamp assemblies 22 can be raised and lowered on column 20 in the “z” direction to alter the height of horizontal shafts 21, and be secured at a fixed height by rotation of clamping mechanisms 23. Likewise, each of the horizontal shafts 21 can be extended and contracted along the “X” axis and can be rotated in a clockwise or counter-wise direction, and secured by the rotatable clamping mechanism 23.
To establish a fixed position on the vertical column, a positioning collar assembly 36 can be raised up and positioned under clamp assembly 22, and secured by tightening rotatable knob 23. With the collar in place, the clamp assembly itself 22 can be unlocked and raised up to remove, for example, prosthesis components like the plaster mold 28 which may have to be removed from the jig to continue processing. The collar retains the setting on the vertical column so the raised clamp assembly can be returned to its original position when the mold or check socket is returned to the jig.
There are also degrees of freedom associated with various fixtures described in
With the clamp mechanism 23 of the upper clamp assembly 22 released, the whole assembly including shaft 21 and fixture 23 can be rotated in the Z-Y plane, about the vertical column 20, where it can be moved from side to side 38 if needed, to align the components.
The same types of movement are allowable for the mid-level clamp assembly 22, where the fixture, here the yoke 29, is rotatable CW as well as CCW, relative to shaft 21, and the whole assembly, including yoke, able to be rotated in the Z-Y plane 38.
The lower level clamp assembly 22 supports the ankle assembly fixture 26 at the end of shaft 21 with a moveable platform 34 positioned by a rotatable screw 39 that is able to translate the platform in the y direction, and together with the slideable shaft 21 is further able to translate the platform in both the Y and X directions within the X-Y plane, as well as rotate the platform in the Z-Y plane. The vertical column 20 can be secured by a base plate 40 to a workbench and aligned vertically by bob 41 supported by rod 42 attached to the top of the vertical column.
In
The specified placement of the components in
The placement of components in FIG. (8)a through 8(c), as with
One familiar with the art can see that these components can be placed at various locations around two fixture joints as long as they server the functions of the 3-D orientation of fixtures through rotary joints, powered by motors 52, planer and worm-gear drives 62, 64, and 66, with rotary encoders 59 reading positional settings and controlling the motors. The same principles would hold relative to the rotation of only one joint, for example, the rotation of yoke 29 around the mid-level shaft 21.
In fixture 26, shown in
Finally, although many of the fixtures, clamps and assemblies or similar to or relate to the popular Hosmer VFJ-100 Vertical Fabricating Jig, there are other specialized vertical and horizontal jigs, however, like the Berkeley Alignment Jig, BAJ-100, which perform similar functions. These can also be outfitted with motors, linear and rotational drives, linear and rotational encoders, clamping assemblies and rotational knobs and fixtures for locking down settings, that are similar to those described in this invention. The Digital Alignment Jig (DAJ) and the Automated Alignment Jig (AAJ) with fixtures specially designed for the positioning and alignment of prosthetic parts and components is a generalized concept applicable to a variety of forms and embodiments.
McDermott, Patrick P., Dignam, John J., Anderson, Christopher S.
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